Latch



Feb. 7, 1939. ROEDDING 2,146,485

LATCH Filed June 1, 1957 2'Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS.

LATCH 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet fig A TTORXEYS.

G. E, ROEDDING Filed June 1,

' Feb. 7, 1939.

ak m JM z Patented Feb. 7 193% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LATCH Application June 1, 1937, Serial No. 145,742

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to latches; and its object is, generally, to provide an improved latch for refrigerators and the like, which shall be simple and economical in construction and easily operated; and more particularly, to provide such a latch having improved parts and combinations of parts operating as hereinafter described.

This and any other and more specific objects hereinafter appearing are attained by, and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, the structure and mechanism hereinafter particularly described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is an elevational side view of a portion of a refrigerator or the like with a latch keeper mounted thereon, and of the free edge portion of the swingable closure for the refrigerators door opening with a latch casing mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is an elevational front view thereof;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the same taken on line 33 of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the door jamb portionof the refrigerator, the latch casing, mounting means therefor, certain latch parts in the casing and a portion of the operating handle, taken on line 4-4 of Figures 2 and 3 and showing the latch bolt in latching engagement with the keeper;

Figure 5 is a like view of the same but showing the parts in another position wherein the latch bolt is released from the keeper;

Figure 6 is a like view of the same but showing said parts in still another position, intermediate those shown in Figures 4 and 5;

Figure '7 is a front view of parts seen in Figure 4 shown partly in section taken on line 11 of that view;

Figure 8 is a' like view of said parts in their position seen in Figure 5 shown partly in section taken on line 3-8 of that view.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by these drawings, a refrigerator or the like I is shown whose door opening is closed by a swingable closure 2. A latch casing 3 desirably formed of sheet metal is mounted on the closure adjacent its free edge in any suitable manner as by the tongues l of a plate 5 fastened as by screws 6 on the closure, these tongues engaging in slots 1 in the casings inner side 8 and secured therein as by screws 9.

A keeper or "strike I0 is secured as by screws II on the front of the door jamb portion 12 of the refrigerator. A manually operable lever handle I3 is turnably mounted in the'casing by so that the handle may move relatively to the pin I I1 in its turning movement on the pin l4, and said sides l8 have also slots 2| (Figure 1) in which the lateral extensions 22 of the plunger 23 are slidably guided in its longitudinal movement and by which its outward (upward) movement is I limited.

A coiled spring 24 surrounding this plunger and pressing between said extensions 22 and the pin I4 urges this plunger to the position seen in Figures 4 and 7 in which its upper end 25 engages the lower surface 26 of the outer arm 21 of the lever latch bolt Hi to hold the same in the position shown in these views wherein its hooked inher arm 28 engages the keepers hooked portion 23, received in the opening 30 of the casings inner side, to hold the closure shut as seen in said views.

To open the closure, the lower arm (or handle proper) 3| of the lever handle is grasped and drawn outwardly thus swinging its upper arm 1 I9 inwardly, against the pressure of a spring 36 and swinging the plunger 23 with it in this movement to a position wherein its upper end 25 is below the recess 32 in the latch bolt's under side.

causes the downwardly-inwardly inclined surface 33 of the latch bolt's hooked inner arm 28 to slide up on the upwardly-outwardly relatively in- The opening movement of the closure then clined surface 34 of the keepers hooked portion I on its pivot M as is seen in Figure 4, and because of this turning movement of the handle the upper end 25 of the plunger (which swings with the handle) is slid outwardly on the outwardlydownwardly inclined surface 31 of the bolt's recess 32 (inasmuch as-the outer-arm 21 of the bolt llll) is held by the stop it against moving upwardly farther than to its position in Fig. 4).

The usaction of the recess surface Bl on the upper end of the plunger urges the same downwardly against the pressure of the spring 26; until its upper end reaches and slides on the latch bolts under surface 26 to hold the bolt in the same turned position as is seen in Figure 4'. When the closure is thereupon slammed shut, the latch bolt being pivoted at W thereon (i. e. on the casing fastened thereto), is carried inwardly with the closures closing movement, the inclined surface 313 of its inner arm 28 sliding on the relatively inclined surface 3d of the keeper, further compressing the spring 26, until the latch bolt in its inward movement with the closure reaches the position wherein, by the pressure of spring 26, it is turned into operative engagement with the keeper as seen in Figure 4.

In all the positions of the parts shown in the drawings, the plunger 23 is pressed by its spring 26 to the same uppermost position in which it is stopped by the engagement of its arms 22 with the upper end of the slots 20. In the latching position of the bolt M5, the lower surface 2% of its arm 2'8 is engaged by the upper end of the plunger (in the plungers said stopped position) to yieldingly hold the bolt in its latching position shown in Figure 4; when the handle is drawn outwardly, the plunger moving laterally with it carries its upper end ofi oi said surface it of the bolt and into a position below and registering with the bolts recess 32, the handle moving relatively to the bolt along the slot 2%, and the plunger remaining in its said stopped position as shown in Figure 5; the opening movement of the closure then causes surface 33 of the bolts arm 2t to slide upon surface it of the keeper (these surfaces being inclined as shown to effect this end), and the bolts opposite arm 2? moves downwardly so that the upper end of the plunger is received into the bolts recess 32,1:1 the position oi the bolt wherein it is released from the keeper as shown in Figure 5, so that the closure may be opened; in the movement of the parts between their positions shown in Figures 4 and 5 respectively, these parts move through positions shown in Figure 6 in which said surfaces 333, 3d are relatively slid toward the disengaged position seen in Figure 5, and the upper end of the plunger is still in its said stopped position but moves relatively to the bolt into its recess 32 by reason of the downward movement of the bolts arm 21!, until the plungers upper end reaches the bottom of this recess and the parts are in the position shown in Figure 5 wherein the bolt is completely released front the keeper and closure is open; when the handle is now released, the handle is returned by its spring 36 to initial position which movement, moving the plunger laterally with it (and in its same longitudinally stopped position) causes its upper end to slide along the inclined outer side 3'! of the bolts recess 32 which action turning the bolts arm 21 upwardly turns its other arm 28 downwardly so that the parts, in this open po- 3 sition of the closure and in this released position of the handle are, by the camming action of the plunger on the side 31 of the bolts recess and by the turning movement of the released handle by its spring 36, caused to move the plunger and the bolts arm 21 relatively toeach other to carry the plunger out of said recess, and then to carry the) plungers upper end into engagement l with the lower surface 28 of the bolts arm 27, thus holding the parts in their positions seen in Figure 4; and

arran e arm 2'6 downwardly, thus compressing spring 26 and sliding the plunger downwardly from its said stopped position; and when said surfaces 38, 39 pass out of their sliding engagement with each other, the plungers upper end, still engaging the bolts said surface 26, the spring 2% expands to press the plunger to its said stopped position to cause the bolt to latchingly engage the keeper as shown in Figure 4.

Instead of drawing the handle levers lower arm 3i outwardly to release the latching bolt, its upper arm it may of course be pushed inwardly. A suitable spring, as the elastic gasket 35 which seals the closure in its shut position, urges the closure toward open position when the latch bolt is released from the keeper.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings or hereinfbefore described.

I claim:

i. In a latch for the closure of the door opening of a refrigerator and the like having a keeper mounted thereon, a casing mounted on the closure, an operating handle turnably mounted in the casing and a latching bolt turnably mounted in the casing: a spring-pressed plunger slidably mounted on the handle and laterally movable therewith to a position engaging the bolt for holding the same in its latching engagement with the keeper and laterally movable with the handle to another position for releasing the bolt.

2. In a latch for the closure of the door opening of a refrigerator and the like having a keeper mounted thereon, a casing mounted on the closure, an operating handle turnably mounted in the casing and a latching bolt turnably mounted in the casing: a spring-pressed plunger slidably mounted on the handle and laterally movable therewith to a position engaging the bolt for holding the same in its latching engagement with the keeper and laterally movable with the handle to another position for releasing the bolt, the bolt and the keeper having mutually engaging surfaces so relatively inclined as to be moved out of latching engagement by the opening movement of the closure in the second-mentioned position of the plunger.

3. In a latch for the closure of the door opening of a refrigerator and the like, spring pressed toward open position, the refrigerator having a keeper mounted thereon, a casing mounted on the closure, an operating handle turnably mounted in the casing, a latching bolt turnably mounted I in the casing: a sprlng-pressed-plunger slidably mounted on the handle and laterally movable therewith to a position engaging the bolt for holding the same in its latching engagement ith the keeper and laterally movable with the handle to another position for releasing the bolt.

4. In a latch for the closure of the door opengreases the bolt to hold the same in operative engagement and laterally movable with the handle to another position registering with the recess for receiving the plunger thereinto in the latch releasing position of the handle.

5. In a latch for the closure of the door opening of a refrigerator and the like having a keeper mounted thereon, a casing mounted on the closure, an operating handle turnably mounted in the casing and a lever latching bolt turnably mounted in the casing: a spring-pressed/plunger slidably mounted on the handle and laterally movable therewith, the bolt having an arm adapted to operatively engage the keeper and an arm having a recess, the plunger being laterally movable with the handle to a position engaging the bolt to hold the same in operative engagement and laterally movable with the handle to another position registering with the recess for receiving the plunger thereinto in the latch releasing position of the handle, the bolt and the keeper having surfaces mutually engaging in the operative position-of the bolt and so relatively inclined as to be moved out of engagement by the opening movement of the closure in the secondmentioned position of the plunger.

6. In a latch for the closure of the door opening of a refrigerator and the like having a' keeper mounted thereon, a casing mounted on the closure, an operating handle turnably mounted in the casing and a lever latching bolt turnably mounted in the casing: a spring-pressed plunger slidably mounted on the handle and laterally movabletherewith, the bolt having an arm adapted to operatively engage the keeper and an arm having a recess, the plunger being laterally movable with the handle to a position engaging the bolt for holding the same in operative engagement and laterally movable with the handle to another position registering with the recess for receiving the plunger thereinto in the latch releasing position of the handle and the recess and the plunger having surfaces so relatively inclined as to urge the plunger out of the recess by the turning movement of the handle in the direction wherein the plunger is laterally moved toward its first-mentioned position.

7. In a latch for the closure of the door opening of a refrigerator and the like having a keeper mounted thereon, a casing mounted on the closure, an operating handle turnably mounted I in the casing and a lever latching bolt turnably the plunger having surfaces so relatively inclined as to, urge the plunger out of the recess by the turning movement of the handle in the direction wherein the plunger is laterally moved toward its first-mentioned position; and means for holding the bolt in that position relatively to the plunger wherein said relatively inclined surfaces thus clined surfaces sliding on each other in the movemove the plunger out of the recess.

8. Ina'latch for the closure of the door opening of a refrigerator and the like having a keeper mounted thereon, a casing mounted on the closure, an operating handle turnably mounted in the casing and. a lever latching bolt turnably mounted in the casing: a spring-pressed plunger slidably mounted on the handle and laterally movable therewith, the bolt having an arm adapted to operatively engage the keeper and an arm having a recess, the plunger being laterally movable with the handle to a position engaging the bolt to hold the same in operative engagement and laterally movable with the handle to another position registering with the recess for receiving the plunger thereinto in the latch releasing position of the handle, the bolt and the keeper having relatively inclined surfaces sliding on each other in the movement ofthe closure from open toward closed position for urging the plunger against the pressure of its spring until the further ,closing movement of the closure carries the bolt inwardly to the position permitting the bolt to operatively engage the keeper.

9. In a latch for the closure of the door opening of a refrigerator and the like having a keeper mounted thereon, an operating handle turnable relatively to the closure and a latching bolt turnable relatively to the closure: a spring-pressed plunger longitudinally movable relatively to the handle and laterally movabe therewith adapted in one laterally moved position to engage the bolt for holding the same in its operative position and releasing the bolt in another laterally moved position; a spring urging the handle and therewith the plunger tothe lateral position wherein the plunger engages the bolt to hold the same in its operative position, the bolt and the keeper having surfaces mutually engaging in the operative position of the bolt and so relatively inclined as to be moved out of engagement by the opening movement of the closure in the secondmentioned position of the plunger, the bolt and the keeper also having relatively inclined surfaces sliding on each other in the movement of the closure from open toward closed position for urging the plunger against the pressure of its spring until the further closing movement of the closure carries the bolt inwardly to the position permitting the bolt to operatively engage the 10. In a latch for the closure of the door opening of a refrigerator and the likehaving a keeper mounted thereon, an operating handle turnable relatively to the closure and a latching bolt turnable relatively to the closure: 2. springpressed plunger longitudinally movable relatively to the handle and laterally movable therewith adapted in one laterally moved position to engage the bolt for holding the same in its operative position and releasing the bolt in another laterally moved position; a spring urging the handle and therewith the plunger to the lateral position wherein the plunger engages the bolt to hold the same in its operative position, the bolt and the keeper havingsurfaces mutually engaging in the operative position of the bolt and so relatively inclined as to be moved out of engagement by the opening movement or the closure in the second-mentioned, position of the plunger, the bolt and the keeper also having relatively inment of the closure carries th bolt inwardly to the position permitting the bolt to operatively engage the keeper and the bolt and the plunger having surfaces sliding on each other and so relatively inclined as to urge the plunger out of its second-mentioned position by the turning movement of the handle under the action of its spring;

and means for holding the bolt in that position relatively to the plunger wherein theirsaid relatively inclined surfaces thus urge the plunger out of its second-mentioned position.

Gannon E. nonnnma. 

